A small piece of contemporary cinema history was written last night in St Andrews, Scotland when Steven Soderbergh sat down with Joe and Anthony Russo on stage at the Sands International Film Festival to discuss their 2002 collaboration Welcome to Collinwood.
Produced by Soderbergh and George Clooney who also stars alongside William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Luis Guzmán, and Patricia Clarkson, Welcome to Collinwood was the second feature from the Russos following their debut feature Pieces, which bombed out of Slamdance in 1997.
“There was zero interest in the film from anybody but this man over here,” Anthony said of Pieces, pointing towards Soderbergh. The sex, lies and videotape filmmaker had been present at the doomed Pieces screening at Slamdance and reached out to the directing duo to impart some wisdom.
“It was insanely ambitious and dense,” Soderbergh told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr, who moderated the talk, of Pieces.
Produced by Soderbergh and George Clooney who also stars alongside William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Luis Guzmán, and Patricia Clarkson, Welcome to Collinwood was the second feature from the Russos following their debut feature Pieces, which bombed out of Slamdance in 1997.
“There was zero interest in the film from anybody but this man over here,” Anthony said of Pieces, pointing towards Soderbergh. The sex, lies and videotape filmmaker had been present at the doomed Pieces screening at Slamdance and reached out to the directing duo to impart some wisdom.
“It was insanely ambitious and dense,” Soderbergh told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr, who moderated the talk, of Pieces.
- 4/21/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
What’s a film without distribution? The Popcorn List sets out to make sure that doesn’t happen to the best indies.
Founded by Lela Meadow-Conner and Barbara Twist, the inaugural annual survey spotlights 20 features that debuted at major or regional film festivals this past year and come highly recommended by festival programmers. Nineteen out of the 20 movies have reviews on Letterboxd, despite not yet having theatrical or digital distribution in the U.S. All 20 have won awards — including Audience Awards and Jury Awards — at festivals like Sundance and SXSW.
Billed as being The Black List for undistributed films, the 2024 Popcorn List highlights independent films that are currently still without domestic U.S. distribution, like the documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” about the making of Kevin Smith’s comedy.
The other 18 are: “Ajoomma,” “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam,” “Art for Everybody,” “Asog,” “Blood Sweat & Beers,” “Caterpillar,” “Citizen Sleuth,” “City of Wind,” “Crows Are White,...
Founded by Lela Meadow-Conner and Barbara Twist, the inaugural annual survey spotlights 20 features that debuted at major or regional film festivals this past year and come highly recommended by festival programmers. Nineteen out of the 20 movies have reviews on Letterboxd, despite not yet having theatrical or digital distribution in the U.S. All 20 have won awards — including Audience Awards and Jury Awards — at festivals like Sundance and SXSW.
Billed as being The Black List for undistributed films, the 2024 Popcorn List highlights independent films that are currently still without domestic U.S. distribution, like the documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” about the making of Kevin Smith’s comedy.
The other 18 are: “Ajoomma,” “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam,” “Art for Everybody,” “Asog,” “Blood Sweat & Beers,” “Caterpillar,” “Citizen Sleuth,” “City of Wind,” “Crows Are White,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (Hiff) in Vietnam has unveiled its line-up of about 100 films, including 12 each for the Southeast Asia competition and for the first or second film competition, with directors Anne Fontaine and Hirokazu Kore-eda among its guests.
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
George Lucas’ Star Wars saga featured Hayden Christensen in the role of Anakin Skywalker, the character who descends into the dark side of the Force to become the iconic antagonist Darth Vader. An integral moment in Anakin’s transformation unfolds during the events of Attack of the Clones. After witnessing his mother’s death, who was abducted by Tusken Raiders, Anakin massacres the men, women, and children of the camp in a rage.
George Lucas’ Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Christensen opened up about filming the emotionally intense scene, reflecting on George Lucas’ supportive presence amid challenges in capturing the pivotal moment on screen.
Hayden Christensen Reflected on George Lucas’ Support During Filming of Tusken Massacre Scene
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Hayden Christensen opened up about filming the emotionally charged scenes in George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
George Lucas’ Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Christensen opened up about filming the emotionally intense scene, reflecting on George Lucas’ supportive presence amid challenges in capturing the pivotal moment on screen.
Hayden Christensen Reflected on George Lucas’ Support During Filming of Tusken Massacre Scene
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Hayden Christensen opened up about filming the emotionally charged scenes in George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
- 3/3/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Lightyear Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to coming-of-age drama “Edge of Everything” from Visit Films. The film stars Sierra McCormick, previously seen in Slamdance award winner “The Vast of Night.”
The film is from writer-director duo Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman, who are making their feature-length narrative debut. McCormick plays a teen going through the seemingly unbearable trials and tribulations of growing up.
The drama will have its U.S. premiere on Feb. 8 at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and a limited theatrical release will follow in the spring, after which the film will be released on digital platforms and in the home entertainment market.
Abby, on the cusp of turning 15 and at a delicate moment in life, is forced to move in with her father and his younger girlfriend (Sabina Friedman-Seitz). Feeling alone in the world, the angry and determined teen strikes up a possibly dangerous friendship with the carefree and rebellious Caroline,...
The film is from writer-director duo Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman, who are making their feature-length narrative debut. McCormick plays a teen going through the seemingly unbearable trials and tribulations of growing up.
The drama will have its U.S. premiere on Feb. 8 at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and a limited theatrical release will follow in the spring, after which the film will be released on digital platforms and in the home entertainment market.
Abby, on the cusp of turning 15 and at a delicate moment in life, is forced to move in with her father and his younger girlfriend (Sabina Friedman-Seitz). Feeling alone in the world, the angry and determined teen strikes up a possibly dangerous friendship with the carefree and rebellious Caroline,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Slamdance Film Festival has announced its winners with Giuseppe Garau’s The Accident landing the narrative Grand Jury prize, and Matt Moyer and Amy Toensing’s Inheritance landing the top doc prize.
African Giants from director Omar Kamara took the audience award for best narrative feature, with Demon Mineral from Hadley Austin taking the prize for doc feature.
In the Unstoppable section, which feature projects by filmmakers with disabilities, Good Bad Things from director Shane Stanger took the top prize.
“This year’s award-winning films leave an indelible mark on the world of independent cinema. Each one delves into groundbreaking storytelling and the spirit of human resilience, highlighting the extreme filmmaking talent on show at Slamdance ‘24,” said Slamdance director Taylor Miller. “We thank our programmers, sponsors, industry partners, and everyone at The Yarrow for creating an inclusive environment in which the filmmakers have been discovered by record-breaking audiences.”
See...
African Giants from director Omar Kamara took the audience award for best narrative feature, with Demon Mineral from Hadley Austin taking the prize for doc feature.
In the Unstoppable section, which feature projects by filmmakers with disabilities, Good Bad Things from director Shane Stanger took the top prize.
“This year’s award-winning films leave an indelible mark on the world of independent cinema. Each one delves into groundbreaking storytelling and the spirit of human resilience, highlighting the extreme filmmaking talent on show at Slamdance ‘24,” said Slamdance director Taylor Miller. “We thank our programmers, sponsors, industry partners, and everyone at The Yarrow for creating an inclusive environment in which the filmmakers have been discovered by record-breaking audiences.”
See...
- 1/26/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amazon MGM Studios is in final negotiations for Sundance comedy hit My Old Ass starring Maddie Ziegler and Aubrey Plaza for a reported $15m.
The studio is targeting a wide North American theatrical release, with international territories to be determined. The film will end up on Prime Video.
My Old Ass marks the latest deal to trickle out of Sundance, where Netflix paid $17m for It’s What’s Inside, Neon acquired Steven Soderbergh’s Presence, and Searchlight Pictures paid $10m for Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain.
Documentaries Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Skywalkers: A Love Story, as well as action comedy Thelma,...
The studio is targeting a wide North American theatrical release, with international territories to be determined. The film will end up on Prime Video.
My Old Ass marks the latest deal to trickle out of Sundance, where Netflix paid $17m for It’s What’s Inside, Neon acquired Steven Soderbergh’s Presence, and Searchlight Pictures paid $10m for Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain.
Documentaries Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Skywalkers: A Love Story, as well as action comedy Thelma,...
- 1/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
Start watching Citizen Weiner and you may find its subject, Zack Weiner, looks familiar. A brief opening montage provides a sampling of what’s to come in Daniel Robbins’ documentary: late-night talk show hosts cracking wise about something Weiner did, various people with shocked expressions, and a conveniently blurred video at the center of it all. Those who can recall 2021’s New York City Council election might remember Weiner as the primary candidate who had a Bdsm video of himself leaked to the press during. It’s a recent blink-and-you’ll-miss-it piece of pop-culture history, from a time when most of us stayed inside and online, and Citizen Weiner does little to make this part of the past worth revisiting.
Introductory interviews provide a bit of background. Weiner is a writer and actor who starred in Robbins’ past features, including the 2018 horror film called Pledge that Weiner co-wrote. With the...
Introductory interviews provide a bit of background. Weiner is a writer and actor who starred in Robbins’ past features, including the 2018 horror film called Pledge that Weiner co-wrote. With the...
- 1/22/2024
- by C.J. Prince
- The Film Stage
It’s nice when a film chooses not to overstay its welcome, as writer-director Giuseppe Garau understands in The Accident. For 65 minutes, Garau drops viewers in on Marcella (Giulia Mazzarino), a single mother whose life is falling apart. Over the course of one day where she’s late picking her daughter up from school, she gets fired by her boss (who also happens to be the father of her ex and grandfather to her child), gets into a minor car crash with her daughter, and ends up losing custody. By using a clever formal gimmick that limits events to a single perspective, The Accident makes for a kinetic, creative, surprisingly funny experience as we watch Marcella not so much climb her way back to the top as drag herself through the mud, one humiliation to another, just to come out the other side.
That formal gimmick doesn’t take long...
That formal gimmick doesn’t take long...
- 1/19/2024
- by C.J. Prince
- The Film Stage
Celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, the Slamdance Film Festival has announced the full lineup for its 2024 edition, unspooling in Park City and Salt Lake Utah from January 19 – 25. The selection consists of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodic series. Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s One Bullet is the opening night film, and the closing is Vanessa Hope’s Invisible Nation. “Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director […]
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/5/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, the Slamdance Film Festival has announced the full lineup for its 2024 edition, unspooling in Park City and Salt Lake Utah from January 19 – 25. The selection consists of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodic series. Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s One Bullet is the opening night film, and the closing is Vanessa Hope’s Invisible Nation. “Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director […]
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Slamdance 2024 Announces Its Full Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/5/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Festival runs January 19-25 in person, January 22-28 online.
Slamdance Film Festival has announced the roster for its upcoming 30th anniversary edition, which is bookended by Carol Dysinger’s previously announced post-Afghanistan War documentary One Bullet and Vanessa Hope’s IDFA closing night documentary Invisible Nation, a profile of Taiwanese first female president Tsai Ing-wen.
Running January 19-25 in person and January 22-28 online, this year’s event returns to Yarrow Hotel in Park City where the festival launched and will showcase 32 features, of which 17 are world premieres, as well as 75 shorts, and five episodics.
Festival organisers said this year...
Slamdance Film Festival has announced the roster for its upcoming 30th anniversary edition, which is bookended by Carol Dysinger’s previously announced post-Afghanistan War documentary One Bullet and Vanessa Hope’s IDFA closing night documentary Invisible Nation, a profile of Taiwanese first female president Tsai Ing-wen.
Running January 19-25 in person and January 22-28 online, this year’s event returns to Yarrow Hotel in Park City where the festival launched and will showcase 32 features, of which 17 are world premieres, as well as 75 shorts, and five episodics.
Festival organisers said this year...
- 12/4/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
A crazy mix of comedy and action, Mad Cats tells the story of Taka (Sho Mineo), a shiftless young man, who sets off on a quest to find his missing brother Mune (So Yamanaka). Teaming up with a quirky new friend, Takezo (Yuya Matsuura) and an edgy, mysterious young woman of action (Ayane) along the way, Taka finds himself taking on a pack of vicious, pistol-packing monster cats who look like women determined to execute unscrupulous pet shop owners. Reiki Tsuno's Slamdance and Fantasia 2023 official selection Mad Cats will make its exclusive streaming premiere on Midnight Pulp November 21st. The trailer and poster arrived today. Check out the trailer down below. I was pleased to catch Mad Cats when it played at...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/9/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Slamdance has announced the winners of its annual screenplay competition, with Mike Ackerman’s feature-length script “This End Up” winning the grand prize.
Slamdance announced the awards — recognizing writers across the categories of feature film, horror/thriller, TV pilot, short film and a special mentorship award — during a ceremony held at Los Angeles’s Westwood Landmark Theater on Wednesday night. In total, the organization gave out more than $18,000 in prizes and industry services.
Per the official synopsis of “This End Up,” Ackerman’s winning screenplay follows “a sheltered man who lives his life quite literally, and physically, upside-down. When he finally meets a woman who accepts him as he is, her closed-minded family plants doubt as to whether his condition will stand in the way of her dream of an adventurous lifestyle.”
Anna Lee Lawson, the film festival and screenplay competition manager, commented on Ackerman’s work, saying, “Mike’s...
Slamdance announced the awards — recognizing writers across the categories of feature film, horror/thriller, TV pilot, short film and a special mentorship award — during a ceremony held at Los Angeles’s Westwood Landmark Theater on Wednesday night. In total, the organization gave out more than $18,000 in prizes and industry services.
Per the official synopsis of “This End Up,” Ackerman’s winning screenplay follows “a sheltered man who lives his life quite literally, and physically, upside-down. When he finally meets a woman who accepts him as he is, her closed-minded family plants doubt as to whether his condition will stand in the way of her dream of an adventurous lifestyle.”
Anna Lee Lawson, the film festival and screenplay competition manager, commented on Ackerman’s work, saying, “Mike’s...
- 10/26/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The coming-of-age drama Remy & Arletta written by and starring Micaela Wittman (Shirley), which we were first to report on, has been acquired by indie distributor Synergetic for North America. Also starring relative newcomer Riley Quinn Scott (Apple’s Truth Be Told), the film will get a limited release in the U.S. starting October 13 before hitting VOD.
Watch the trailer above.
Based on Wittman’s same-name bestseller and the true story behind it, Remy & Arletta world premiered at Outfest last year. The film directed by Arthur De Larroche (American Bistro) follows Wittman’s Remy as she attempts to balance her relationship with her alcoholic mother (Amy Benedict) and her longtime best friend, Arletta (Scott). While Remy leans on her best friend as a coping mechanism, she learns that their co-dependent friendship is more than she realized.
Synergetic Head of Acquisitions Anatol Chavez described Remy & Arletta as “an honest, sensitive,...
Watch the trailer above.
Based on Wittman’s same-name bestseller and the true story behind it, Remy & Arletta world premiered at Outfest last year. The film directed by Arthur De Larroche (American Bistro) follows Wittman’s Remy as she attempts to balance her relationship with her alcoholic mother (Amy Benedict) and her longtime best friend, Arletta (Scott). While Remy leans on her best friend as a coping mechanism, she learns that their co-dependent friendship is more than she realized.
Synergetic Head of Acquisitions Anatol Chavez described Remy & Arletta as “an honest, sensitive,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
$35,000 prize for US and international winners.
The Academy has selected Erica Eng and July Jung as its 2023 Academy Gold Fellowship For Women recipients.
The fellowship is part of the Academy Gold global talent development and inclusion initiative and offers a one-year programme offering direct support, mentorship and access to top-level networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their careers.
Two fellowships are awards each year with a $35,000 prize for each category.
Eng and Jung will Fellows also get career advancement support through the Gold Alumni Program providing provides continued access, opportunity, professional development and education for alumni of Academy Gold programmes including Gold Rising,...
The Academy has selected Erica Eng and July Jung as its 2023 Academy Gold Fellowship For Women recipients.
The fellowship is part of the Academy Gold global talent development and inclusion initiative and offers a one-year programme offering direct support, mentorship and access to top-level networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their careers.
Two fellowships are awards each year with a $35,000 prize for each category.
Eng and Jung will Fellows also get career advancement support through the Gold Alumni Program providing provides continued access, opportunity, professional development and education for alumni of Academy Gold programmes including Gold Rising,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has set theatrical and digital release dates for Linh Tran’s debut film Waiting For The Light To Change.
The 2023 Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Narrative Feature will be available to rent/own on all digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms in North America, as well as on DVD, starting on October 20 through Freestyle Digital Media. Prior to the October 20 digital release date, two limited week-long theatrical engagements are scheduled for the film in New York and Chicago.
Waiting For The Light to Change takes place over the course of a week-long beachside getaway. Set over several days in and around a lake house in Michigan, the film follows five twenty-somethings who gather for a small getaway in the early spring. But with little to do in the small, lakeside town, everyone...
The 2023 Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Narrative Feature will be available to rent/own on all digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms in North America, as well as on DVD, starting on October 20 through Freestyle Digital Media. Prior to the October 20 digital release date, two limited week-long theatrical engagements are scheduled for the film in New York and Chicago.
Waiting For The Light to Change takes place over the course of a week-long beachside getaway. Set over several days in and around a lake house in Michigan, the film follows five twenty-somethings who gather for a small getaway in the early spring. But with little to do in the small, lakeside town, everyone...
- 9/6/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
We recently had the good fortune to speak with the talented, prolific filmmaker Wayne Wang about his long career, in particular his film Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, whose Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray is now available from Criterion and also streaming on the Criterion Channel. Additional B-Sides we chatted about with Wang included Eat a Bowl of Tea, Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive (also on Criterion Channel), Smoke (and its own B-Side Blue in the Face), Chinese Box, and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.
Wang elaborated on making films efficiently, his career-long ambition to make a different kind of picture every time, how he constructed the perfect “pillow shot” (an homage to filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu) in Dim Sum, and some smaller films of his that he hopes more people discover. There’s also talk about his faltering first steps into Hollywood (Slam Dance) and...
Wang elaborated on making films efficiently, his career-long ambition to make a different kind of picture every time, how he constructed the perfect “pillow shot” (an homage to filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu) in Dim Sum, and some smaller films of his that he hopes more people discover. There’s also talk about his faltering first steps into Hollywood (Slam Dance) and...
- 9/6/2023
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Surprise! Here’s a bonus episode in which we speak to the talented, prolific, and dynamic director Wayne Wang. Our main B-Side is Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, whose Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray is now available from Criterion.
Additional B-Sides include Eat a Bowl of Tea, Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive (also on Criterion Channel), Smoke (and its own B-Side Blue in the Face), Chinese Box, and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.
We talk to Wang about making films efficiently, his career-long ambition to make a different kind of film every time, how to construct the perfect “pillow shot” (an homage to filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu), combating boredom on set with ambition,...
Surprise! Here’s a bonus episode in which we speak to the talented, prolific, and dynamic director Wayne Wang. Our main B-Side is Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, whose Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray is now available from Criterion.
Additional B-Sides include Eat a Bowl of Tea, Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive (also on Criterion Channel), Smoke (and its own B-Side Blue in the Face), Chinese Box, and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.
We talk to Wang about making films efficiently, his career-long ambition to make a different kind of film every time, how to construct the perfect “pillow shot” (an homage to filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu), combating boredom on set with ambition,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
A Tricky Patient Causes a Therapist to Face His Own Issues in Ron Eyal’s Drama Short ‘The Therapist’
After making the Slamdance award-winning feature Stranger Things, Director Ron Eyal has returned to the short film format for his follow-up in the form of reflective drama The Therapist. It follows a practitioner who encounters a particularly tricky patient which leads him to reflect on his own psychological issues. Fundamentally, Eyal’s film is about human connection and the unexpected places important relationships can arise. It’s a film which relies on the performances of its two leads, BAFTA winner Adeel Akhtar and Marion Bailey, which Eyal captures in intimate close-ups, giving the actors the opportunity to convey their character’s emotionality through every minor facial expression. It’s an incredibly compelling work and Dn is delighted to premiere it online alongside a conversation (which featured spoilers so definitely watch the film first!) with Eyal where he walks us through the operation of making the film, working on a tight budget,...
- 7/6/2023
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Exclusive: Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired North American VOD rights to the dramatic feature film Waiting for the Light to Change — the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Narrative Feature.
The pic premiered at the Heartland International Film Festival in October, screened at the Chicago Critics Film Festival in May and just had its West Coast premiere in Los Angeles at Dances With Films this week. Freestyle Digital Media is planning a fall release date. Watch the new trailer below.
Waiting for the Light to Change follows five twentysomethings who gather for a weeklong spring getaway at a lake house in Michigan. But with little to do in the small town, everyone finds themselves dealing with the sort of malaise that happens in one’s early- to mid-20s: growing older, establishing a career, finding a purpose in life,...
The pic premiered at the Heartland International Film Festival in October, screened at the Chicago Critics Film Festival in May and just had its West Coast premiere in Los Angeles at Dances With Films this week. Freestyle Digital Media is planning a fall release date. Watch the new trailer below.
Waiting for the Light to Change follows five twentysomethings who gather for a weeklong spring getaway at a lake house in Michigan. But with little to do in the small town, everyone finds themselves dealing with the sort of malaise that happens in one’s early- to mid-20s: growing older, establishing a career, finding a purpose in life,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“Truth is stranger than fiction” as Mark Twain famously said, and the documentary format seems to be the one proving the proverb every chance filmmakers get. “Starring Jerry as Himself”, which is also literally what happens in the movie, is a type of hybrid movie that is very difficult to classify, since not even the mockumentary title is enough in this case. Why? Because it is a film talking about what happened to Jerry, who happens to be producer John Hsu's father, in a format that points more towards a feature movie, but also acted by real members of the particular family, including Jerry and John. The movie premiered in Slamdance, where it got the Grand Jury Prize (Best Documentary Feature), Audience Award, Acting Award and is now screening in Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.
Jerry is a retired, divorced Taiwanese immigrant in Orlando, who has been living like a poor man all his life,...
Jerry is a retired, divorced Taiwanese immigrant in Orlando, who has been living like a poor man all his life,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Shout! Studios presents The Magic Flute by Florian Zigl, executive produced by Roland Emmerich, at 325 theaters with expansion likely. A reimagining of the Mozart opera, it follows a present-day teen sent from London to the Austrian Alps on singing scholarship at the legendary Mozart boarding school. There, he discovers a century old forgotten passageway into the magical world of Mozart’s famed opera.
This Harry Potter-ish adventure fantasy stars Jack Wolfe as Tim Walker, who passes from school into the world of the opera and its many adventures as hero Prince Tamino. Wide releases may be picking up steam and Scream, but in terms of new specialty, and family fare, these isn’t much new competition this weekend.
Melissa Boag, EVP of Family Entertainment at Shout! Studios, hopes it will play with fans of magical adventure, Harry Potter, and classical music. Wolfe is a star of Netflix YA series Shadow & Bone.
This Harry Potter-ish adventure fantasy stars Jack Wolfe as Tim Walker, who passes from school into the world of the opera and its many adventures as hero Prince Tamino. Wide releases may be picking up steam and Scream, but in terms of new specialty, and family fare, these isn’t much new competition this weekend.
Melissa Boag, EVP of Family Entertainment at Shout! Studios, hopes it will play with fans of magical adventure, Harry Potter, and classical music. Wolfe is a star of Netflix YA series Shadow & Bone.
- 3/10/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
For a hot minute, it looked like BlackBerry might control the smartphone market. They got there first, figuring out how to use the existing data network to put email in users’ hands. Sure, it all came packaged in a device as thick and unwieldy as a slice of French toast — too big for most people’s pockets, not at all comfortable to hold up to one’s ear. Still, Canada-based electronics company Research in Motion revolutionized how mobile phones worked and what they could do, making billionaires of its co-founders. So what happened?
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
After breaking into NASA to make his last movie, “Operation Avalanche,” one would think that “BlackBerry” — a film that, on paper, sounds like a standard book adaptation about a Canadian boom-and-bust story — would be a walk in the park for Matt Johnson.
For anyone else, it might have been. But short-cuts don’t compute for the Toronto-based helmer. His outright rejection of Hollywood’s camera tricks in place of a wild do-it-yourself approach has made him one of the most radical new voices emerging from Canada.
In “BlackBerry,” which world premieres on Friday, Johnson tackles the story of one of Canada’s greatest modern inventions, the BlackBerry mobile phone — tracing its spectacular ascent into a global phenomenon that brought email to users’ fingertips, to its tragic downfall in the wake of corporate mismanagement and the dawn of Apple’s iPhone.
“It’s an odd couple, that’s for sure,” Johnson admits.
For anyone else, it might have been. But short-cuts don’t compute for the Toronto-based helmer. His outright rejection of Hollywood’s camera tricks in place of a wild do-it-yourself approach has made him one of the most radical new voices emerging from Canada.
In “BlackBerry,” which world premieres on Friday, Johnson tackles the story of one of Canada’s greatest modern inventions, the BlackBerry mobile phone — tracing its spectacular ascent into a global phenomenon that brought email to users’ fingertips, to its tragic downfall in the wake of corporate mismanagement and the dawn of Apple’s iPhone.
“It’s an odd couple, that’s for sure,” Johnson admits.
- 2/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Utopia opened Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas’ slacker comedy The Civil Dead, the feature debut from the lifelong friends from Gulf Shores, Alabama who have been making projects together — from skateboarding videos to an HBO special — since grade school. It’s grossed 17k so far on 27 screens including a sneak-preview Q&a tour at Alamo Drafthouse locations in NY, LA, San Francisco, Denver and Austin that started last week. The five Alamos sold out a dozen screenings and have grossed 10K of the 17k for the 2022 Slamdance Audience Award winner, which that was made for 30k.
The story of misanthropic, struggling photographer (Thomas), who wants to watch TV and eat candy while his wife is out of town, but finds his plans thwarted when an old pal (Tatum) resurfaces with spooky consequences.
Utopia said that given demand and sold-out shows into early this week, the supernatural buddy comedy will continue...
The story of misanthropic, struggling photographer (Thomas), who wants to watch TV and eat candy while his wife is out of town, but finds his plans thwarted when an old pal (Tatum) resurfaces with spooky consequences.
Utopia said that given demand and sold-out shows into early this week, the supernatural buddy comedy will continue...
- 2/12/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“I’m a new filmmaker,” Linh Tran tells me at one point, with an emphasis on the word new, when talking about Waiting for the Light to Change. Born in Vietnam, Tran moved to the US to study with a theater background before pursuing directing. She received an Mfa from DePaul University in Chicago, and through the school’s program was able to make her directorial debut, which recently won the Grand Jury Prize for narrative features at the Slamdance Film Festival.
Set over several days in and around a lake house in Michigan, Waiting for the Light to Change follows five twenty-somethings who gather for a small getaway in the early spring. But with little to do in the small, lakeside town, everyone finds themselves dealing with the sort of malaise that happens in one’s early-to-mid twenties: growing older, establishing a career, finding a purpose in life, going over past regrets,...
Set over several days in and around a lake house in Michigan, Waiting for the Light to Change follows five twenty-somethings who gather for a small getaway in the early spring. But with little to do in the small, lakeside town, everyone finds themselves dealing with the sort of malaise that happens in one’s early-to-mid twenties: growing older, establishing a career, finding a purpose in life, going over past regrets,...
- 2/8/2023
- by C.J. Prince
- The Film Stage
Iran-France-Norway co-production follows all-female Kurdish militia Ypj.
Visit Films has boarded worldwide sales rights to Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi’s documentary Dreams’ Gate ahead of its world premiere in Berlin Generation 14plus.
Ahmadi travels to the war zone of northern Syria to follow the lives of the women in the Ypj, an all-female Kurdish militia for whom fighting Isis is a way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.
Dreams’ Gate (Darvazeye Royaha) weaves together candid moments between the female soldiers with the brutality of combat and offers a visual diary that examines the role of women in battle...
Visit Films has boarded worldwide sales rights to Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi’s documentary Dreams’ Gate ahead of its world premiere in Berlin Generation 14plus.
Ahmadi travels to the war zone of northern Syria to follow the lives of the women in the Ypj, an all-female Kurdish militia for whom fighting Isis is a way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.
Dreams’ Gate (Darvazeye Royaha) weaves together candid moments between the female soldiers with the brutality of combat and offers a visual diary that examines the role of women in battle...
- 2/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Iran-France-Norway co-production follows all-female Kurdish militia Ypj.
Visit Films has boarded worldwide sales rights to Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi’s documentary Dreams’ Gate ahead of its world premiere in Berlin Generation 14plus.
Ahmadi travels to the war zone of northern Syria to follow the lives of the women in the Ypj, an all-female Kurdish militia for whom fighting Isis is a way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.
Dreams’ Gate (Darvazeye Royaha) weaves together candid moments between the female soldiers with the brutality of combat and offers a visual diary that examines the role of women in battle...
Visit Films has boarded worldwide sales rights to Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi’s documentary Dreams’ Gate ahead of its world premiere in Berlin Generation 14plus.
Ahmadi travels to the war zone of northern Syria to follow the lives of the women in the Ypj, an all-female Kurdish militia for whom fighting Isis is a way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.
Dreams’ Gate (Darvazeye Royaha) weaves together candid moments between the female soldiers with the brutality of combat and offers a visual diary that examines the role of women in battle...
- 2/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
With the Sundance Film Festival now wrapped up, offering our first glimpse at the 2023 cinematic offerings, eyes are now on Berlinale, which kicks off later this month. Looking at this month’s theatrical releases, it’s an eclectic mix of fest favorites (including the best film from last year’s Cannes and a pair of highlights from last year’s Slamdance), underseen gems, and a few auteur-driven studio offerings.
12. The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (Teemu Nikki; Feb. 3)
A week before James Cameron’s 1997 box-office behemoth returns to theaters, we’ll see the release of an acclaimed festival favorite in which his Best Picture winner figures into the central narrative. Winner of the Orizzonti Extra Audience Award at the Venice International Film Festival, Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic follows Jaakko (Petri Poikolainen), a charming Finn who loves movies despite his blindness,...
12. The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (Teemu Nikki; Feb. 3)
A week before James Cameron’s 1997 box-office behemoth returns to theaters, we’ll see the release of an acclaimed festival favorite in which his Best Picture winner figures into the central narrative. Winner of the Orizzonti Extra Audience Award at the Venice International Film Festival, Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic follows Jaakko (Petri Poikolainen), a charming Finn who loves movies despite his blindness,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: The series adaptation of C.J. Cooke’s supernatural family novel The Lighthouse Witches has moved a step closer to fruition after Two Sentence Horror Stories creator Vera Miao boarded the project.
Miao, who created The CW drama series, which ran for three seasons, will create and serve as showrunner on the series, which comes from The Picture Company and Studiocanal.
It is the latest television project for The Picture Company, which is behind feature films including Gunpowder Milkshake and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s A Million Little Pieces. The company is also working with Studiocanal and Entertainment 360 on a scripted series adaptation of art documentary The Lost Leonardo.
Published in 2021 by Penguin Random House, the book follows young mother Liv and her three daughters who arrive on a mysterious Scottish island to run a decrepit lighthouse.
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island,...
Miao, who created The CW drama series, which ran for three seasons, will create and serve as showrunner on the series, which comes from The Picture Company and Studiocanal.
It is the latest television project for The Picture Company, which is behind feature films including Gunpowder Milkshake and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s A Million Little Pieces. The company is also working with Studiocanal and Entertainment 360 on a scripted series adaptation of art documentary The Lost Leonardo.
Published in 2021 by Penguin Random House, the book follows young mother Liv and her three daughters who arrive on a mysterious Scottish island to run a decrepit lighthouse.
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s of course common to overlook the Slamdance Film Festival, which boldly (nobly?) runs concurrent with a better-known, phonetically similar exhibition, but in doing so one misses independent cinema of a purer expression. Case in point: last year’s top winner, Hannah Ha Ha, was produced on a shoestring budget and with nary a recognizable face, yet never at the expense of dramatic value or formal skill. Would it have been noticed without Slamdance’s top prize? It’s hard to imagine otherwise, and–considering the many merits–truly a shame to even consider.
This is a feature debut for Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, whose finely tuned shorts work we’ve called “equally reminiscent of early Mike Leigh, Richard Linklater, and a less-preening Alex Ross Perry.” The same applies for Hannah Ha Ha, which (not for nothing) engendered one of the funniest interviews we’ve done in some time.
This is a feature debut for Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, whose finely tuned shorts work we’ve called “equally reminiscent of early Mike Leigh, Richard Linklater, and a less-preening Alex Ross Perry.” The same applies for Hannah Ha Ha, which (not for nothing) engendered one of the funniest interviews we’ve done in some time.
- 2/1/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
When we first meet Laughn Doescher – or Elliot, as he is known on the street – he’s feeding pigeons. Deftly, he slides his hands around one of them, scooping it up. “If you hold ‘em right they don’t usually struggle too much,” he says.
Elliot lives in his Rv. He says that he used to be a criminal investigator. Of course, a lot of men say things like that. Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t. What matters to the sex workers who visit him is that he treats them with kindness. They can talk with him and he really seems to listen. He feeds them. He lets them sleep there is they need to. He doesn’t think less of them because they use heroin. It’s a rare thing for women in that situation to encounter somebody they can trust.
Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller’s documentary,...
Elliot lives in his Rv. He says that he used to be a criminal investigator. Of course, a lot of men say things like that. Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t. What matters to the sex workers who visit him is that he treats them with kindness. They can talk with him and he really seems to listen. He feeds them. He lets them sleep there is they need to. He doesn’t think less of them because they use heroin. It’s a rare thing for women in that situation to encounter somebody they can trust.
Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller’s documentary,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Slamdance Film Festival has revealed the winners of its annual Sparky Awards, with “Waiting for the Light to Change” and “Where the Road Leads” taking home the narrative feature grand jury prize and audience award, respectively.
Directed by Linh Tran, narrative feature grand jury prize winner “Waiting for the Light to Change” is an “exceptional act of patience, restraint, courage and authenticity,” according to the jury. “Filmmaker Linh Tran paints a remarkably honest portrait of vulnerability that breaks open the heart of its audience, demanding sincerity and drawing deep reflection of the fractured nature of ourselves and the complex, human spaces between each of us.”
The Agbo Fellowship, which includes a 25,000 scholarship and mentorship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo, was awarded to Tij D’Oyen. He presented his narrative short film, “Lollygag,” during the festival.
“Tij expertly crafted a bold and original cinematic piece, showcasing himself as a unique...
Directed by Linh Tran, narrative feature grand jury prize winner “Waiting for the Light to Change” is an “exceptional act of patience, restraint, courage and authenticity,” according to the jury. “Filmmaker Linh Tran paints a remarkably honest portrait of vulnerability that breaks open the heart of its audience, demanding sincerity and drawing deep reflection of the fractured nature of ourselves and the complex, human spaces between each of us.”
The Agbo Fellowship, which includes a 25,000 scholarship and mentorship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo, was awarded to Tij D’Oyen. He presented his narrative short film, “Lollygag,” during the festival.
“Tij expertly crafted a bold and original cinematic piece, showcasing himself as a unique...
- 1/27/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Festival ran in Park City, Salt Lake City from January 20-29.
Linh Tran’s Waiting For The Light To Change and Law Chen’s Starring Jerry As Himself have won the 2023 Slamdance grand jury narrative and documentary awards this week.
The 2023 Slamdance Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Peter Hoffman Kimball’s, while the Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Shujaat Saudagar’s The Underbug (India), and the 2023 Episodes Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Theodore Collatos’s Palookaville.
The Agbo Fellowship, presented by 2022 recipient and current Slamdance jury member Ethan Eng, went to Tij D’Oyen at the January 26 ceremony.
Linh Tran’s Waiting For The Light To Change and Law Chen’s Starring Jerry As Himself have won the 2023 Slamdance grand jury narrative and documentary awards this week.
The 2023 Slamdance Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Peter Hoffman Kimball’s, while the Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Shujaat Saudagar’s The Underbug (India), and the 2023 Episodes Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Theodore Collatos’s Palookaville.
The Agbo Fellowship, presented by 2022 recipient and current Slamdance jury member Ethan Eng, went to Tij D’Oyen at the January 26 ceremony.
- 1/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Actor-filmmaker Cheryl Nichols (Doula) has signed with Stride Management.
Nichols recently directed the comedy Doula, produced by Chris Pine’s company Barry Linen Motion Pictures, which Universal Pictures will release across digital and VOD platforms on June 28. Her third feature starring Troian Bellisario, Arron Shiver and Will Greenberg centers on Deb (Bellisario) and Silvio (Arron Shiver), who after months of dating, are expecting their first child. When their elderly midwife Penka passes away suddenly, Silvio makes the hasty decision to hire her son, Sascha (Greenberg), as their live-in doula. Deb is bewildered, as Silvio didn’t consult her before hiring. But before long, the two grow closer, and when the pregnancy nears its conclusion, Silvio feels like the odd man out. His continued efforts to exert control over the pregnancy lead to a blow-up fight in which he forces Deb to choose between him and Sascha.
Nichols also recently...
Nichols recently directed the comedy Doula, produced by Chris Pine’s company Barry Linen Motion Pictures, which Universal Pictures will release across digital and VOD platforms on June 28. Her third feature starring Troian Bellisario, Arron Shiver and Will Greenberg centers on Deb (Bellisario) and Silvio (Arron Shiver), who after months of dating, are expecting their first child. When their elderly midwife Penka passes away suddenly, Silvio makes the hasty decision to hire her son, Sascha (Greenberg), as their live-in doula. Deb is bewildered, as Silvio didn’t consult her before hiring. But before long, the two grow closer, and when the pregnancy nears its conclusion, Silvio feels like the odd man out. His continued efforts to exert control over the pregnancy lead to a blow-up fight in which he forces Deb to choose between him and Sascha.
Nichols also recently...
- 6/3/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Veteran manager James Jolly has joined Anonymous Content’s Talent Division.
Jolly has been working in representation for seven years. His client roster includes SAG Award winner Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves), Richa Moorjani (Never Have I Ever), NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker Tiffany Johnson (Black Monday), The Game‘s Adriyan Rae and Two Distant Strangers‘ Zaria, among others.
“James has a keen eye for recognizing talent and working with artists to help shape their careers in very meaningful ways,” said Anonymous Content’s Talent Department Head, Tony Lipp. “His genuine and unshakable dedication to his clients will make James a valuable addition to our Talent team as well as Anonymous Content overall and we’re excited to have him.”
“The talent management team at Anonymous Content is best in class,” added Jolly. “They are fiercely passionate about their clients’ success and continue to put them at the forefront of entertainment...
Jolly has been working in representation for seven years. His client roster includes SAG Award winner Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves), Richa Moorjani (Never Have I Ever), NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker Tiffany Johnson (Black Monday), The Game‘s Adriyan Rae and Two Distant Strangers‘ Zaria, among others.
“James has a keen eye for recognizing talent and working with artists to help shape their careers in very meaningful ways,” said Anonymous Content’s Talent Department Head, Tony Lipp. “His genuine and unshakable dedication to his clients will make James a valuable addition to our Talent team as well as Anonymous Content overall and we’re excited to have him.”
“The talent management team at Anonymous Content is best in class,” added Jolly. “They are fiercely passionate about their clients’ success and continue to put them at the forefront of entertainment...
- 4/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2022 Slamdance Film Festival has announced the winners of their annual Sparky Awards.
The film festival focused on the works of emerging artists began its 28th edition on Jan. 27, hosting 23 premieres of films chosen from over 8,000 submissions. The awards were announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday, with the winning films available for viewing on the official virtual Slamdance channel until midnight on Feb. 6.
The Slamdance Jury awarded the best narrative feature prize to “Hannah Ha Ha,” from directors Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, and the best documentary feature prize to “Forget Me Not” from director Olivier Bernier. In addition to winning one of the top overall prizes, “Hannah Ha Ha” star Hannah Lee Thompson also nabbed the festival’s acting award. The other two grand jury prizes for features were presented to “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (in the unstoppables category) and “Killing the Eunuch Khan” (in the...
The film festival focused on the works of emerging artists began its 28th edition on Jan. 27, hosting 23 premieres of films chosen from over 8,000 submissions. The awards were announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday, with the winning films available for viewing on the official virtual Slamdance channel until midnight on Feb. 6.
The Slamdance Jury awarded the best narrative feature prize to “Hannah Ha Ha,” from directors Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, and the best documentary feature prize to “Forget Me Not” from director Olivier Bernier. In addition to winning one of the top overall prizes, “Hannah Ha Ha” star Hannah Lee Thompson also nabbed the festival’s acting award. The other two grand jury prizes for features were presented to “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (in the unstoppables category) and “Killing the Eunuch Khan” (in the...
- 2/5/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
The 28th Slamdance Film Festival announced its awards winners on Friday, with Grand Jury Awards going to “Hannah Ha Ha” for Narrative Feature, “Forget Me Not” for Documentary Feature, “Killing the Eunuch Khan” for Breakout Feature and “Straighten Up and Fly Right” for Unstoppable Feature.
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “The Civil Dead,” while “Iron Family” scooped up the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. “The Ember Knight Show: ‘Getting Mad'” received the Audience Award for Episodes.
“We congratulate the winners of Slamdance 2022 and every one of our filmmakers who together created a showcase that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling,” said Slamdance President and Co-founder Peter Baxter. “The future of film depends on these unique voices who defy simple classification and transcend analytics. Key to supporting this endeavor is accessibility and the major growth of our online audience who’ve tuned into the new Slamdance Channel.
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “The Civil Dead,” while “Iron Family” scooped up the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. “The Ember Knight Show: ‘Getting Mad'” received the Audience Award for Episodes.
“We congratulate the winners of Slamdance 2022 and every one of our filmmakers who together created a showcase that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling,” said Slamdance President and Co-founder Peter Baxter. “The future of film depends on these unique voices who defy simple classification and transcend analytics. Key to supporting this endeavor is accessibility and the major growth of our online audience who’ve tuned into the new Slamdance Channel.
- 2/4/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Director Frauke Havemann’s story about traveling into the woods with her dramaturg to discuss a new project at the onset of Covid-19 feels crucial to understanding the experience she and co-writers Peter Stamer & Matthias Wittekindt bring to the screen with Be Right Back. The initial sense of escapism. The inevitable introduction of that nightmare via social media and the internet. The increasing emotional uncertainty and existential crisis born from knowing you must return to the world as it’s shutting down. The projection of fears and anxieties upon nature to turn serenity into chaos. It’s the sort of context we need to see her characters as more than weird eccentrics and their world as more than purgatory. It’s a doorway towards relatability.
That doesn’t make this a Covid film, though. It merely helps us appreciate the headspace of those we follow, considering Havemann is uninterested in...
That doesn’t make this a Covid film, though. It merely helps us appreciate the headspace of those we follow, considering Havemann is uninterested in...
- 2/2/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Like its Park City counterpart, the Slamdance Film Festival has pivoted to an all-virtual affair this year, but it will now get underway Jan. 27, one week after Sundance, its proudly DIY spirit intact. The 28th edition of Slamdance boasts 23 premieres — 13 world, six North American and four U.S. debuts — and sections such as Department of Anarchy and Experimental Shorts, along with Blockchain Fairy Tales, a collaborative storytelling experiment.
“On one hand you can say it’s bad and disappointing when we cannot gather in Park City, but we see the good — the opportunity to reenvision what a festival can be, what Slamdance can be,” says Peter Baxter, Slamdance president and co-founder. “Our new Slamdance Channel, which will host the festival this year, fits into the bigger picture of a decentralized media future.”
Buzzy titles include Clay Tatum’s comedy “The Civil Dead” and Kristen Abate and Steven Tanenbaum’s existential...
“On one hand you can say it’s bad and disappointing when we cannot gather in Park City, but we see the good — the opportunity to reenvision what a festival can be, what Slamdance can be,” says Peter Baxter, Slamdance president and co-founder. “Our new Slamdance Channel, which will host the festival this year, fits into the bigger picture of a decentralized media future.”
Buzzy titles include Clay Tatum’s comedy “The Civil Dead” and Kristen Abate and Steven Tanenbaum’s existential...
- 1/21/2022
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
Not the only festival to shift plans during the pandemic, Slamdance Film Festival will take place virtually from January 27 through February 6 with quite an accessible All-Access Pass for just $10. Year after year, the event has championed truly independent filmmaking and the 2022 edition is no different. One of the most intriguing films in this year’s slate, Therapy Dogs, is executive produced by festival alums Matthew Miller and Matt Johnson, and ahead of the world premiere, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer.
Directed by Ethan Eng, who co-wrote the script and stars in the film with Justin Morrice, the film follows two best friends who set out to create the ultimate senior video for their graduating class of 2019. With an anarchic spirit to closing out their high school era, the film looks to be an authentic portrayal of this moment in life, with the energy of Project X and...
Directed by Ethan Eng, who co-wrote the script and stars in the film with Justin Morrice, the film follows two best friends who set out to create the ultimate senior video for their graduating class of 2019. With an anarchic spirit to closing out their high school era, the film looks to be an authentic portrayal of this moment in life, with the energy of Project X and...
- 1/19/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Paris-based sales agent Luxbox has acquired world sales rights to “Dos Estaciones” which will world premiere in World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this month’s Sundance Festival.
Produced by Mexico’s Sin Sitio Cine in co-production with France’s In Vivo Films and the U.S., “Dos Estaciones” marks the feature debut of Juan Pablo González, co-director of the Film Directing program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) whose shorts have won at Slamdance and New Orleans.
Co-written with Ana Isabel Fernández and Ilana Coleman (“The Inventory”), “Dos Estaciones” pays tribute to Mexico’s artisanal tequila makers, a dying breed as they are bought up by foreign corporations.
In striking parallel and contrast, the feature underscores the meticulous craftsmanship and artistic ambition of art films emerging from Mexico and the rest of Latin America which question received wisdom and cliches, offering an alternative narrative.
They are made, however,...
Produced by Mexico’s Sin Sitio Cine in co-production with France’s In Vivo Films and the U.S., “Dos Estaciones” marks the feature debut of Juan Pablo González, co-director of the Film Directing program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) whose shorts have won at Slamdance and New Orleans.
Co-written with Ana Isabel Fernández and Ilana Coleman (“The Inventory”), “Dos Estaciones” pays tribute to Mexico’s artisanal tequila makers, a dying breed as they are bought up by foreign corporations.
In striking parallel and contrast, the feature underscores the meticulous craftsmanship and artistic ambition of art films emerging from Mexico and the rest of Latin America which question received wisdom and cliches, offering an alternative narrative.
They are made, however,...
- 1/12/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
A Sundance Institute program dedicated to cultivating and supporting diverse artists with disabilities is back after a pandemic pause.
The Accessible Futures Initiative returns for 2021 after launching in 2019, Sundance announced internally on Friday. The virtual program will work with filmmakers across genres and consult on projects and career strategy over a multi-day workshop.
This also includes making the annual Sundance Film Festival more accessible, in partnership with Easterseals Southern California and RespectAbility, which provides inclusivity training.
“We seek to assist participating artists in honing their creative voice and craft, finding a cohort, and building support for them to help surmount critical barriers in the field that has systematically excluded artists with disabilities,” an internal memo obtained by Variety read.
This year’s selected filmmakers include Nasreen Alkhateeb, Virtic Emil Brown, Shaina Ghuraya, Cashmere Jasmine , Luna X Moya, and Jennifer Msumba. Their advisors for the intensive include Day Al-Mohamed, Rodney Evans,...
The Accessible Futures Initiative returns for 2021 after launching in 2019, Sundance announced internally on Friday. The virtual program will work with filmmakers across genres and consult on projects and career strategy over a multi-day workshop.
This also includes making the annual Sundance Film Festival more accessible, in partnership with Easterseals Southern California and RespectAbility, which provides inclusivity training.
“We seek to assist participating artists in honing their creative voice and craft, finding a cohort, and building support for them to help surmount critical barriers in the field that has systematically excluded artists with disabilities,” an internal memo obtained by Variety read.
This year’s selected filmmakers include Nasreen Alkhateeb, Virtic Emil Brown, Shaina Ghuraya, Cashmere Jasmine , Luna X Moya, and Jennifer Msumba. Their advisors for the intensive include Day Al-Mohamed, Rodney Evans,...
- 6/25/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
'Shiva Baby' is a darkly playful comedy of unease about a young bisexual woman grappling with tradition and independence. It tells the story of Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a college student on the verge of graduating who is faced with a series of increasingly awkward and humiliating encounters at a climactic day-long shiva, a Jewish gathering of friends and family during a time of mourning.
A highlight of 2020’s Toronto International Film Festival and featuring a standout lead performance from emerging actor-comedian Rachel Sennott, the acclaimed feature debut from writer-director Emma Seligman is bold, modern filmmaking at its most daring, hilarious and unforgettable. The film also stars Molly Gordon (Booksmart), Polly Draper, Fred Melamed and Dianna Agron. The music is composed by the eclectic composer and multi-instrumentalist Ariel Marx (Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer).
Emma Seligman is a filmmaker from Toronto and based in New York. At NYU’s Undergraduate Film & TV program,...
A highlight of 2020’s Toronto International Film Festival and featuring a standout lead performance from emerging actor-comedian Rachel Sennott, the acclaimed feature debut from writer-director Emma Seligman is bold, modern filmmaking at its most daring, hilarious and unforgettable. The film also stars Molly Gordon (Booksmart), Polly Draper, Fred Melamed and Dianna Agron. The music is composed by the eclectic composer and multi-instrumentalist Ariel Marx (Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer).
Emma Seligman is a filmmaker from Toronto and based in New York. At NYU’s Undergraduate Film & TV program,...
- 6/10/2021
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
EFM Workhorse Queen, Nora Highland.
GQue Films, a non-cisgender Los Angeles-based sales company launched last year by Mx Bryan Glick, has sold 2020 Hot Docs selection Bare to Tla for North America and the UK and Optimale for French-speaking Europe, excluding Belgium.
Aleksandr M. Vinogradov directed Bare, about the nude choreography of Thierry Smits’s new dance, Anima Ardens, and follows 11 men who audition, rehearse, and perform a challenging piece exploring masculinity, power, and voyeurism.
It also screened recently at Doc NYC and will continue its festival run through 2021.
Glick negotiated the deals with Tla head of acquisitions Adam Silver,
The...
GQue Films, a non-cisgender Los Angeles-based sales company launched last year by Mx Bryan Glick, has sold 2020 Hot Docs selection Bare to Tla for North America and the UK and Optimale for French-speaking Europe, excluding Belgium.
Aleksandr M. Vinogradov directed Bare, about the nude choreography of Thierry Smits’s new dance, Anima Ardens, and follows 11 men who audition, rehearse, and perform a challenging piece exploring masculinity, power, and voyeurism.
It also screened recently at Doc NYC and will continue its festival run through 2021.
Glick negotiated the deals with Tla head of acquisitions Adam Silver,
The...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The film “Taipei Suicide Story,” a drama about a “suicide hotel” in Taiwan, has won the top prize from the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.
The film, written and directed by Keff, won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize Award as well as the Audience Award and the Acting Prize for the film’s star Tender Huang.
“Taipei Suicide Story” follows a receptionist at a suicide hotel who forms a fleeting friendship with a woman who can’t decide if she wants to live or die. The film was also a selection of Cannes 2020.
The Slamdance jurors described “Taipei Suicide Story” as a film that “is concise and emotionally effective as it portrays isolation with humanity and complex pathos.” The jury was composed of Carlos Aguilar, Kier-La Janisse and Jennifer Reeder, and the jury also gave an honorable mention to the film “A Family” directed by Jayden Stevens.
This year’s Slamdance was...
The film, written and directed by Keff, won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize Award as well as the Audience Award and the Acting Prize for the film’s star Tender Huang.
“Taipei Suicide Story” follows a receptionist at a suicide hotel who forms a fleeting friendship with a woman who can’t decide if she wants to live or die. The film was also a selection of Cannes 2020.
The Slamdance jurors described “Taipei Suicide Story” as a film that “is concise and emotionally effective as it portrays isolation with humanity and complex pathos.” The jury was composed of Carlos Aguilar, Kier-La Janisse and Jennifer Reeder, and the jury also gave an honorable mention to the film “A Family” directed by Jayden Stevens.
This year’s Slamdance was...
- 2/26/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
For their first feature, A Brixton Tale, filmmaking team Darragh Carey and Bertrand Desrochers set themselves a trap. It’s a film about filmmaking ethics—who gets to tell which stories, and where is the line between artistic expression and exploitation? By asking those questions, the Irish Carey and Québécois Desrochers put themselves under the microscope, too, in their depiction of a housing estate in rapidly gentrifying Brixton. They preempt those criticisms with a title card at the beginning that reads, “Made in collaboration with the community,” and yet I still can’t shake the feeling that A Brixton Tale is made with an outsider’s gaze––not because it’s exploitative, but because it’s generic. It’s a film that plays it too safe, sanding off the thorny edges of its characters to make something tiresomely morally straightforward.
The story is centered on a romance between Benji, a Black Brixtoner,...
The story is centered on a romance between Benji, a Black Brixtoner,...
- 2/22/2021
- by Orla Smith
- The Film Stage
In 2012, veteran New York actors Chris Jones and Dan Moran staged an off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame. The play, a black comedy about two aging and ailing men waiting for death, was written just a few years after Beckett’s mother died of Parkinson’s disease. Fittingly, Jones and Moran chose to perform the play while living with rapidly advancing Parkinson’s, and questioning whether they will have to retire from acting due to their condition. Their loss of control of their bodies and difficulty remembering lines makes working difficult, but it also means that their experiences chimed with the characters in Endgame in a way that was difficult for Jones and Moran to pass up.
Me to Play, a new documentary by Jim Bernfield, chronicles Jones and Moran’s journey from rehearsal to stage with empathy but little insight. We’re introduced to Jones and Moran, given...
Me to Play, a new documentary by Jim Bernfield, chronicles Jones and Moran’s journey from rehearsal to stage with empathy but little insight. We’re introduced to Jones and Moran, given...
- 2/22/2021
- by Orla Smith
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Tilane Jones, President of inclusive film collective Array, was honored with the Slamdance Founders Award on Saturday during a virtual presentation. The award is Slamdance’s highest accolade and Jones is the fifth recipient to receive the award. Previous winners include Chris Nolan, The Russo brothers and Steven Soderbergh.
The Founders Award is given to an individual that supports the filmmaker community of Slamdance well into their careers.
“Tilane has helped our community of artists grow through recognizing talent, launching and sustaining careers,” said Peter Baxter, President and co-founder of Slamdance. “We recognize she has worked tirelessly, with great dedication to nurture emerging artists who become the next generation of filmmakers. We want to thank Tilane and her company Array for her ongoing support of these artists, inspiration and being part of Slamdance’s community. For these reasons, we are honored to present Tilane Jones with Slamdance’s Founders Award.
The Founders Award is given to an individual that supports the filmmaker community of Slamdance well into their careers.
“Tilane has helped our community of artists grow through recognizing talent, launching and sustaining careers,” said Peter Baxter, President and co-founder of Slamdance. “We recognize she has worked tirelessly, with great dedication to nurture emerging artists who become the next generation of filmmakers. We want to thank Tilane and her company Array for her ongoing support of these artists, inspiration and being part of Slamdance’s community. For these reasons, we are honored to present Tilane Jones with Slamdance’s Founders Award.
- 2/13/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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